Hu Bugui left.
But Xu Changqing kept the matter of the New Year market firmly in mind.
Even if he could not trade for anything good, he could still join in the excitement.
Besides, this was within the Dongting Immortal Sect. There was no danger at all.
Night arrived. After eating a meal cooked with Spirit Rice Grain, Xu Changqing sat cross-legged on his bed.
He held the jade pendant containing the Wood-Spirit Entanglement Art in his right hand and continued studying diligently.
After roughly half an hour, the attribute panel appeared before him.
[Xu Changqing] [Male] [18 years old] [Wood Spirit Root] [Middle Qi Refining] [Low-Tier Evergreen Art (Level Five)] [Spirit Rice Wine (Initiation)↑] [High-Tier Wood Spirit Entanglement Art (Level One)↑] (Effect One: weeds transform into Green Vine) (Effect Two: 50 jin of pulling force per vine) (Effect Three: temporarily restrains the target) [Remaining Lifespan: 5140 days]
"Finally!" Xu Changqing's eyes lit up.
Over the past month, he had cultivated during the day and studied nonstop at night.
He had compressed his resting time to the absolute limit.
At last, his efforts had not been in vain. He had learned his first High Grade spell.
With a slight circulation of spiritual power within his body—
A phantom character for Wood immediately appeared in his right palm.
This was the Spirit Mark of the Wood-Spirit Entanglement Art.
It looked impossible to erase, but it would automatically hide as long as he dispersed his spiritual power.
Xu Changqing decisively got out of bed and hurried outside, finding a patch of open ground thick with weeds.
He merely poured the spiritual power within him into the Wood Spirit Seal.
At once, the weeds beneath his feet began swaying violently.
Whoosh!
Whoosh, whoosh!
Very quickly, one weed after another transformed into vines and shot upward.
The more vines there were, the greater the spiritual power consumption.
One strand of spiritual power could support roughly ten vines.
Each vine possessed fifty jin of pulling force.
Ten vines meant five hundred jin, and so on.
Therefore, the more vines there were, the greater their pulling force became.
With Xu Changqing's current six strands of spiritual power, he could support at least fifty vines.
For three minutes.
Yet Xu Changqing felt a faint trace of disappointment.
Sure enough, Wood Spirit Roots were not suited for combat in the early stages.
They were especially much weaker than Metal Spiritual Roots and Fire Spiritual Roots.
Even this, the only offensive spell available to Wood Spirit Root cultivators in the Dongting Immortal Sect's Qi Refining Realm—
Had nothing particularly eye-catching about it.
Afterward, Xu Changqing walked toward the other side.
The vines beside him followed him step for step.
Soon, he arrived before a poplar tree thick enough for one person to wrap their arms around.
Xu Changqing's heart stirred, and the weeds beneath his feet immediately wound around it.
Crack!
Crack!
At once, one strangling mark after another appeared across the surface of the poplar's trunk.
Xu Changqing watched and felt that it was acceptable.
[Would you like to consume 2233 days of lifespan to raise the Wood-Spirit Entanglement Art from Level One to Level Two?]
"Sure enough, High Grade techniques consume more lifespan." Xu Changqing was not surprised in the slightest.
His most pressing task was still to improve his ability to protect himself.
No matter how much it consumed, it was an investment in his own safety.
He immediately chose "Agree."
[Successfully consumed 2233 days of lifespan to raise the Wood-Spirit Entanglement Art to Level Two] [Remaining Lifespan: 2907 days] [High-Tier Wood Spirit Entanglement Art (Level Two)] (Effect One: evolves into Poison Thorn Grass) (Effect Two: 100 jin of pulling force per vine) (Effect Three: permanently restrains the target) (Effect Four: carries paralyzing poison)
"It can actually evolve?!" Xu Changqing was greatly surprised.
He lowered his head to look.
He discovered that the previous vines had all limply shrunk back.
Then, another strand of spiritual power entered the Wood Spirit Seal.
At once, the weeds rapidly evolved into black poisonous grass covered in thorns.
When they once again wrapped around the poplar before him, they were indeed different.
The densely packed thorns covered its surface, immediately puncturing one pinprick-sized hole after another.
With a casual tug, large chunks of bark were effortlessly ripped away.
In just a moment, the sight was shocking.
Though he had yet to test the "paralyzing poison"—
Judging from the current situation, the power of the second level of the Wood-Spirit Entanglement Art—
Was clearly several times stronger than the first level.
This also meant that Xu Changqing now possessed a certain degree of self-protection.
Next, he turned his attention back to the attribute panel.
[Spirit Rice Wine (Initiation)↑] (Effect One: increases spiritual energy absorption speed by 5% for one shichen)
Since the Wood-Spirit Entanglement Art could only be raised to Level Two for now—
He might as well upgrade this as well.
[Would you like to consume 888 days of lifespan to raise Spirit Rice Wine from Initiation to Proficiency?]
"Yes."
At once, all kinds of experience and techniques concerning brewing surged into his mind.
Before long, Xu Changqing had comprehended them all.
[Successfully consumed 888 days of lifespan to raise Spirit Rice Wine from Initiation to Proficiency] [Remaining Lifespan: 2019 days] [Spirit Rice Wine (Proficiency)↑] (Effect One: increases spiritual energy absorption speed by 10% for one shichen) (Effect Two: increases low grade technique comprehension speed by 5% while lightly drunk)
"Not bad." Xu Changqing nodded.
Spirit Rice Wine was, after all, one of the most ordinary wines in the cultivation world.
For it to have such effects was already quite good.
[Would you like to consume 1566 days of lifespan to raise Spirit Rice Wine from Proficiency to Mastery?]
"Continue." Xu Changqing could accept that.
In an instant, increasingly abundant experience and techniques surged forth.
[Successfully consumed 1566 days of lifespan to raise Spirit Rice Wine from Proficiency to Mastery] [Remaining Lifespan: 453 days] [Spirit Rice Wine (Mastery)] (Effect One: increases spiritual energy absorption speed by 15% for one shichen) (Effect Two: spiritual power consumption -10% when operating Wood-element techniques) (Effect Three: increases low grade technique comprehension speed by 10% while lightly drunk) (Negative Effect One: long-term drinking reduces reaction speed)
"A negative effect actually appeared." Xu Changqing raised a brow.
But the increase in spiritual energy absorption speed alone made it worthwhile.
Combined with the 50% cultivation speed bonus from the Evergreen Formula at Level Five—
It felt as though he would soon break through to Late Qi Refining.
In the days that followed, Xu Changqing did not slack off.
Every day, he immersed himself in cultivation.
Finally, two months after becoming an official disciple—
The seventh strand of spiritual power was born.
With that, Late Qi Refining was not far away.
This cultivation speed had already left Lin An and the others far behind.
It had even caught up to those veteran spirit farmers who had joined the Spirit Field Core Region years ago.
These people possessed abundant resources, along with the aid of at least the second level of the Evergreen Formula.
Some had even raised it to the third level.
Yet compared to Xu Changqing, they still fell a little short.
After all, his Evergreen Formula had already reached "Level Five."
His cultivation speed had increased by a full 50%.
"How strange. Why are these spirit plants covered in yellowish-brown specks?" Xu Changqing arrived at the field ridge and was just about to cultivate when he made an unexpected discovery.
He immediately sent out his senses, and his expression changed slightly.
Those yellowish-brown specks were actually living bugs.
Most areas of the entire Grade-Two Spirit Field had already been occupied by them.
The stalks and ears of Spirit Rice were practically covered with them.
This was the first time Xu Changqing had encountered such a situation.
Back when he had been in the Outer Spirit Fields, nearly a year had passed without anything similar occurring.
After turning it over and over in his mind, he immediately headed for the Core Administration Office to seek Flower Elder's advice.
This time, when he arrived at the palace atop the mountain, he found quite a few fellow disciples coming and going.
"Flower Elder!" Xu Changqing saw him again.
"Xu... Changqing?" Flower Elder had some impression of him and vaguely remembered that he could grow Supreme-Grade Spirit Rice.
"Yes, it's me." Xu Changqing nodded repeatedly.
Flower Elder smiled. "You came here because of those bugs too, I presume."
Xu Changqing was surprised. "Yes, the Spirit Fields are full of yellowish-brown bugs."
Flower Elder explained, "Those yellowish-brown bugs are called Winter Awakening Bugs. They only awaken during winter, once the temperature falls low enough, and then crawl out of the soil."
"Winter Awakening Bugs?" Xu Changqing looked somewhat lost.
Flower Elder nodded faintly. "These bugs only appear in Grade-Two Spirit Fields and above, because they have long lain dormant within the Black Soil."
"So that's how it is." Xu Changqing came to a realization, then asked, "How do we deal with them?"
"There are only two methods." Flower Elder paused before continuing. "The first is to find disciples with Metal Spiritual Roots and have them come kill the bugs. The second is to find disciples with Water Spiritual Roots to cast the Minor Cloud-Rain Art."
"What if we ignore them?" Xu Changqing asked tentatively.
Flower Elder replied with some gravity, "If you ignore them, your spirit plants will not be eaten clean, but their yield will drop by at least two-thirds. When that happens, you will be unable to complete your quarterly task."
Xu Changqing said helplessly, "It seems I can only ask someone for help."
"Go post a task over there, then choose the specific reward. If someone accepts it, dealing with these little bugs will be very quick." Flower Elder pointed toward the other side of the palace.
This time, because there were quite a few people around—
He could see many disciples who had specifically come here to take on side work.
Xu Changqing swept his gaze over them and felt that it was much like handling business in his previous life.
Each person had their own window, and they queued up.
With no other choice, Xu Changqing picked a line with fewer people.
About ten minutes later, it was finally his turn.
"What can I do for you, fellow cultivator?" The female disciple across from him smiled.
Xu Changqing immediately said, "I want to post a mission to kill Winter Awakening Bugs."
The female disciple asked, "What's the reward?"
"What's the minimum?" Xu Changqing did not know much about this.
"Spirit stones or Spirit Rice Grain?"
"Spirit Rice Grain."
"First-grade or second-grade?"
"First-grade!"
"For first-grade, the minimum is fifty jin."
"Alright."
The extermination mission was processed quickly.
Before long, the other side handed him a spirit talisman and explained, "If someone accepts the extermination mission you posted, the talisman will light up. The closer they are, the faster it will flash."
"Understood." Xu Changqing took it.
By then, he had very little Spirit Rice Grain left.
Before you continue